In the construction of automobiles it is common practice to place the engine at the front of the automobile with the tank for gasoline or other fuel at the rear. This requires at least one fuel line to lead from the fuel tank to the vicinity of the engine. In accordance with present day practices and anti-pollution controls it is common practice to return surplus fuel from the engine area to the fuel tank. This requires an additional fuel line. Furthermore, brake lines lead from the master cylinder, generally on or adjacent to the fire wall at the front portion of the automobile to the four wheels, and for present considerations, particularly to the rear wheels. Thus, there are many lines, both fuel lines and brake lines, and perhaps others leading beneath the floor of a modern automobile relatively from the front to the rear thereof. Some means must be provided for supporting such fluid lines.
The lines in question are generally made of metallic tubing, although they may have flexible portions of either end thereof. Emphasis on costs in the production of automobiles limits the amount of hand labor that can be utilized in securing such fluid lines in position beneath the floor of an automobile.
Plastic fasteners which are insertable through a shaped aperture in a mounting plate are known in the art, and are secured by a simple quarter turn of the fastener. Such fasteners are shown in the prior patent art such as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,940,558, 3,179,367, and 3,182,770. If principals of such fasteners or supports could be used for supporting fuel and brake lines there could be a material saving in labor in the assembly of an automobile.